Hikari no Nake E
by Escagurlie
Summary: This story is mostly about Chesta and Miguel's friendship. I think this will stay a one-shot, but if you really want it, I'll write another. But it will be slash and really angsty. Anyways, this is kinda a story within a story. Confused? Just read. Your b


Disclaimer: Ummm...I don't own Dil, Chesta, Miguel...nobody. I'm just a poor little girl who likes writing about them for amusement. OH! But I DO own the nurse! But why the heck would I want a bloody nurse. Dang it. I own nothing of exuberant wealth or power. The best thing I own is my Binder of Glory. I luv it. So many hours have been put in to it. My own flesh and blood! Well, uh..there's not really and flesh or blood of my own in there. Maybe in some of my drawings, sure but......uh....I'll shut my trap now.  
  
A/N: eurgh. This is gonna be long. I can tell it. I hate writing really long things. My basement is freezing and typing for a long time makes my fingees go all numby. Errr....right. Feed my ego and leave me a review! Tell me what I can do better and what you liked about it. Flames are welcome. They will be laughed at. You can also give me suggestions on some other stories I should write because I think this might be a one-shot. If enough people want more, I will. Oh and just a recommendation here: the last little bit when Chessy and Miguel are talking on the balcony, well, if you have a program on your P.C that allows you to play music, then download Enya's Watermark. It hightens the cuteness and sadness of it all. If you have the C.D. with it on it, play it! Just a recommendation. Kudos!  
  
Hikari no Nake E  
  
(Into the Light)  
  
  
  
Dilandau slouched on his lion throne and glared at his Dragonslayers, rubbing his cheek once more.  
  
"Chesta! Step forward!" he snapped  
  
Chesta shuffled forward, head bowed  
  
"You fool. I left you in charge and what have you got me....four wrecked, brand new Alseides units." he said, his voice quietly quivering with rage.  
  
"Dilandau....." said Chesta quietly  
  
*SMACK* Chesta flew to the floor  
  
"Dilandau-SAMA, you incompetent!" he shouted.  
  
"Y-yes sir, s-sorry Dilanda-sama" Chesta stuttered, his light blonde hair splayed over his brilliantly pink face, the hand mark becoming visible on his left cheek.  
  
Dilandau turned to the other 'Slayers. "As for you, how did you manage to ruin four Alseides and have all the others damaged in one way or another!?! Are you purpously trying to ruin my reputation??  
  
"No, Dilandau-sama, sorry Dilandau-sama." they answered in unison.  
  
"How the HELL did you manage to have those damn Asturian weaklings damage those units that badly?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"WELL!?!" he raged  
  
Bodly, Miguel stepped foreward to offer an explanation. "We're sorry, sir. The Asturian guymelefs are-are...."  
  
"Better than our FLYING, CLOAKED Alseides units? Are they not good enough for you, Miguel?" Dilandau asked, deadly quiet.  
  
Miguel failed to answer.  
  
*SMACK* the second Dragonslayer flew to the ground next to the now kneeling Chesta. Dilandau stood up, drew his sword and walked casually over to the two kneeling subordinates. He placed the sword horizontally under their chins, about two inches away form the soft flesh and slowly turned it so that the razor edge reflected in their eyes. He then cut swiftly up as the rest of the Dragonslayers closed their eyes. Wincing, they opened them. Chesta and Miguel were sitting, leaned back with the back side of Dilandau's sword pressed against their necks, eyes wide with fear.  
  
Dilandau pushed his sword harder into their necks, causing them to do a somewhat odd crabwalk backwards until they hit the wall. He turned his sword again so the razor edge was once again facing them. Again, he cut up, turning the sword quickly so the broad face slammed against their throats and blocked their air off. He kept it there until they turned a purply blue. Then he swiftly sheathed his sword.  
  
"Let this be a lesson to all of you. You are MY subordinates. I shall do whatever I want with you! And unless you satisfy me, you WILL be punished, understood?" he shouted at them.  
  
"Yes Dilandau-sama!" all of them answered except Chesta and Miguel who were still catching their breath.  
  
"Get out of my sight." Dilandau said to them.  
  
They all turned and left, some sighing with relief; all except Chest and Miguel who were still slumped against the far wall.  
  
'What are they still doing here?' Dilandau thought to himself. He walked over to them and stood in front of them.  
  
They immediately dropped over into a head-to-floor kneel. He continued to stand there, somewhat evaluating them.  
  
Chesta was, despite his small. meek appearance, muscular and mature for a boy of fifteen. He had always reminded him of a summer peach, since the day he found him and took him as one of his Dragonslayers.  
  
Miguel was handsome and tall. The way he brushed his feather soft hair over his right eye had become his trademark. He was more developed than Chesta, and looked to be around seventeen, even though he was just in the middle of fifteen, like Chesta. Both were very skilled swordfighters.  
  
Dilandau's expression softened and he sighed. He was under far too much stress lately. He hadn't been getting enough sleep and was being called out on the field unexpectedly quite often. Today, it was 3:00 in the morning. The announcement had given him enough time to pull a pair of pants on and his armor. Going commando in a hot, sweltering guymelef at 3:00 am wasn't the best way to start off your day.  
  
  
  
He blinked and looked down at Chesta and Miguel, wondering why they were still there. Stupid question. He knew the answer. Too loyal and frightened to stand up and walk away in front of their commander. Sometimes, despite himself, he wondered what it was like to be one of them. Surrounded by friends all day. They could sleep easier and they had time to talk and laugh with one another. Dilandau couldn't remember anything before becoming head of the Dragonslayers except a few memories of flowered fields and of an attractive woman. Before he ever got a chance to ponder about what they were, he was always called out on some mission or to go to training. What little time he did get alone, not worried about being bothered, was always spent thinking about battle and training.  
  
Suddenly, a searing pain soared through his head, cutting his thoughts in two. His hand shot to his forehead as the sharp pain continued. It thudded, echoing through his mind as he staggered to the wall beside Chesta and Miguel. He gripped the cement seam and blinked furiously.  
  
Miguel and Chesta had now slowly raised their heads and were watching, bewildered. He began shivering and his pupils dilated. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees and began to retch.  
  
The two Dragonslayers scrambled to their feet and over to him. Once Dilandau was done, they dared to pull him back, knowing he barely ever let anyone touch him. But once they had pulled him away, they didn't expect to se what was there.  
  
Blood. A large, dark red puddle. Something was deffinatly very wrong. Of course, there must be something not right if someone's throwing up, but that was your normal throw up. This was blood. Chesta and Miguel knew they had to risk touching him again. They slowly brought him to his feet and he stood there, wobbling. He began to take a few steps forward without their aid, but then fell over, hitting the back of his head on the stony floor. He groaned, blinked a couple times and then fell unconcious.  
  
"Oh my God," was all Miguel could say.  
  
"We have to get him to the infirmary!" Chesta said urgently  
  
Miguel nodded and slipped hi hands underneath Dilandau's shoulders while Chesta lifted him under his knees. They straightened up and shuffled out the door.  
  
Their metallic footsteps echoed off the Vione's cold, dark walls and down the deserted hallway. The rest of the Dragonslayers had most likely already returned to their rooms.  
  
"Dammit. Nobody's ever around here unless Dallet and Gatti are kissing in the shadows again." Miguel said  
  
"We'll just have to take him there ourselves." Chesta replied.  
  
The blonde was facing forward with Dilandau's legs spread and his knees on either side of the boy's hips. Miguels eyes stayed forward, fixed on Chesta's soft blonde hair swaying this way and that. Soon. he started to feel dizzy from moving his with the swinging locks, while walking at the same time. He lowered his gaze to commander's body, his arms swinging limply below him. His silvery hair softly swaying with the rocking motion of their steps.  
  
It was then that Miguel noticed a small, out of place glint beneath the bangs on his diadem . He slowly shifted Dilandau's weight onto one arm and brushed the silver hair aside. A large dent had appeared on the diadem and a blueish purple tint was appearing om his skin beneath it. He wondered he should take it off.  
  
"Hey Chess." he said quietly  
  
Chesta slowed and turned back to Miguel."Hmm?"  
  
"Here. There's a dent and a huge bruise coming out. Should we take it off?"  
  
"Why not. It's probably hurting him."  
  
"Maybe because he'll kill us,"  
  
Chesta almost snorted in laughter. "I don't think he's in a state to do that."  
  
"All right," said Miguel, softly setting the sliver haired boy down.  
  
He slipped the coronet gently off Dilandau's head. Its absence revealed a huge bruise blossoming from a bloody cut. Chesta grabbed the diadem out of Miguel's hand and turned it over. It had cracked through the metal and cut into the boy's pale skin. The blonde boy brushed his hand softly over the cut and it began to bleed profusely.  
  
"Oh shit." he muttered.  
  
They had nothing with them that they could wrap around his head to stop the it from bleeding. But then, Miguel scrambled up and ran off.  
  
"Wait here! My room is just down the next hallway!" he called back to the other boy, footsteps echoing loudly.  
  
He turned the corner and skidded in front of the door. He quickly unlocked it and dashed inside. His room was soft green with a wooden dresser, bed an desk. He began to rifle through his droors.  
  
"Pants, shirts, underwear, socks.....nothing." he mumbled to himself  
  
He sighed inwardly and began to leave when he remembered something. He whipped around and ran to the bed. He gabbed the pillow and yanked the pillowcase off, then ran out, not locking the door.  
  
When he came around the corner, he could see Chesta holding Dilandau's pale hands to his chest. He had taken his and Dilandau's gloves off evidently since they were lying on the ground beside them. As he got closer, he could see Chesta's eyes were closed. Then, as he slowed down before he reached them, he noticed Chesta was extremely pale.  
  
"What's wrong, Chess?" Miguel panted as he swiftly sat down beside him.  
  
"He won't stop shaking and his skin is like ice. He's going cold." the other boy whispered.  
  
Miguel looked down at Dilandau. He was quivering, but not too badly.  
  
"It was worse before." Chesta said.  
  
Miguel nodded and raised his eyes to Dilandau's hands. White as ice and by the looks of them, cold as ice too. He also removed his gloves and slowly drew his finger down his forearm. Freezing.  
  
"Do you think he's always this cold?" said Miguel softly  
  
Chesta shook his head.  
  
"You know?" said Miguel, surprised  
  
"I had to touch him to clean a nasty battle wound once when we were still out on the field. I guess he's always a bit cold. I mean, he's got to be if he can still be cold after being in one of those Alseides for a couple of hours. But I wouldn't think he's as icy as this usually." he explained.  
  
Miguel nodded softly and began to wrap the material around Dilandau's head.  
  
"Wha....?" said Chesta meekly  
  
The smaller boy gently turned over his captain's hand and drew a quick breath. Miguel noticed and looked up.  
  
"What?" he said  
  
"Look at his wrists! Bruises! Huge ones that disappear into the sleeves!"  
  
"Oh God."  
  
The bruises were like the one on his head. Starting on the wrist and traveling out of sight up his arm. Exept there was not cut.  
  
"C'mon. Let's go." Miguel whispered.  
  
They lifted him once more and set out. Quicker now. They turned multiple corners and had to go up two flights of stairs.  
  
"Why the hell did they put the infirmary on the other side of the damn Vione when the training rooms and the hanger are on the opposite side? Yeah. People eating and taking a shower really need the infirmary. Unless your as clumsy as Guimel." Miguel muttered darkly.  
  
He was now leading and Chesta had taken his previous position.  
  
"Hey Miguel." Chesta said  
  
"Yeah?" he said, still walking  
  
"I just remembered. How did that cut on his coronet get there?"  
  
"Probably when he fell."  
  
"No, I don't think that's right. He fell backwards onto the back of his head. That dent and the cut are on the front."  
  
"That's right......well, no matter we're almost at the infirmary."  
  
"Mmmhmm," Chesta agreed  
  
They kept walking until.....  
  
"What the hell?" Miguel heard Chesta say sharply.  
  
Miguel winced. He knew what without looking. He could feel Dilandau's legs jerking in his hands and his muscles spazzing. He turned his head enough to see his commander writhing and convulsing, his face still blank and expressionless. He looked up at Chesta who's eyes were wide and was sheet white.  
  
"Hurry. The infirmary is just around the corner. Come on!" he said as he started to walk faster..  
  
Chesta followed. They soon came to the infirmary. They knocked loudly a couple of times.  
  
"Come in." came the voice of the nurse.  
  
Miguel nodded his head at Chesta. The blondes swiftly helped him get Dilandau's whole body in his arms. Chesta quickly opened the door and helped Miguel get their commander inside. The nurse looked up and her eyes went wide.  
  
"Hurry. On the table." she said, rushing to her cabinet.  
  
Chesta assisted Miguel in setting Dilandau on the table. The nurse came back.  
  
"I need something. Stay here while I get it. Watch him. If anything happens, page me." she pointed to the intercom box on the wall. "If you can, get him out of his armor. I need to examine him carefully."  
  
The two boys undid the clasp on the overskirt and slid it off along with the sword. Then they popped the metal clasps and went down to his feet. They each took a metal boot of and tossed it in the corner with the other items. Chesta unzipped the jacket and slipped it off. He wasn't wearing his usual violet under shirt; instead, he was wearing multiple violet bruises.  
  
"Oh hell. What in God's name has he been doing to himself?? Call the nurse, Chess." Miguel said  
  
Chesta nodded and turned to the intercom box. Just as he was pressing the button, the nurse dashed in. She stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"Oh my. Do you know what happened?" She whispered  
  
The two boys shook their heads. "They're all up his arms too. I don't know about his legs. There's a big cut on his head and we don't know where that came from either." Chesta explained and the nurse nodded in response.  
  
"You." she said to Miguel. "Go downstairs to the laundry room. Get me some fresh sheets and towels. Ask if they have any clean bandages."  
  
"All right." said Miguel as he dashed out.  
  
"Check if he's fully dressed." The nurse said offhandedly to Chesta as she busied herself getting out supplies.  
  
Chesta stared at her for a moment. Of course he wasn't fully dressed. But he then got the point and walked over to the still body. He pulled down a tiny bit on Dilandau's waistband. Nothing. "Must've really been in a hurry this morning." he thought to himself.  
  
"No," he said simply to the nurse.  
  
"All right. Leave him be then. I'll do it after." She replied, still busy pulling this and that out of various cupboards.  
  
She finally came over to him and examined him, putting in a couple needles, taking his temperature, his pulse and so on. Chesta stood silently in the corner, watching. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"Is he going to die?"  
  
"I can only tell you that if he lives, he lives. I don't know quite yet. Now I need to work in peace." She said, not taking her eyes off her patient. She looked up and her expression softened. "I'll do the best I can. That may or may not be good enough."  
  
Chesta nodded silently and left through the large white door. He stopped outside but then continued to walk down the hall. He came to a staircase and sat down.  
  
"What will I do if he dies. What will any of us do. Dilandau is what holds the Dragonslayers together." He whispered sadly to himself. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get so attached to him. I mean, we're in the military. He could've died at any time. Just like all of us. Now that the possiblity is there that he might leave us forever, I wonder how many will still want to be alive. Loyalty like this doesn't come and then leave with no trace. I …..I….." he trailed off.  
  
He then stood up and walked away, turning the corner and out of sight. A small, wet droplet splashed on the cold dark floor the only evidence of his thoughts.  
  
Miguel soon came back and gave the nurse the sheets, towels and explained that they had no fresh bandages. She sighed and had said she'd do without them.  
  
"Will he be all right? Can you help him?" he asked softly  
  
"I'll tell you the same thing I told your friend. I'll do the best can. I don't know if he'll live. I need a doctor." She said softly as she turned to the speaker.  
  
Miguel began to leave but then stopped. "Which way did he go?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"The other boy."  
  
"Oh. I'm not sure. I think to the right."  
  
"Thanks,"  
  
He quietly left and walked down the hall. He couldn't see Chesta anywhere. He soon gave up and sighed. He wandered aimlessly around the spotless halls, mind spinning with questions that had no answers and doubts that could not be prevented. He began to feel dizzy so he decided to get some fresh air. He went down the stairs and through a door that lead out onto a large balcony. Standing at the railing was the form of Chesta.  
  
"What will happen if he dies?" Chesta said, not turning around but sensing it was him.  
  
"I don't know. We'll probably get put under new command." He said sadly as he walked up beside Chesta and took a deep breath.  
  
"I really hope that doesn't happen. But if it does, I hope I'm with you." he said quietly.  
  
"Me too." Said Miguel softly.  
  
Chesta turned to him and smiled. "I wonder why we've never become really good friends in the past. I mean, we do spend every day together. You would think…"  
  
"Hmmm." Miguel nodded in agreement.  
  
"We're friends now, right?" Chesta asked, voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Course." Miguel answered lightly.  
  
Chesta smiled sadly and turned back to the railing. The sun was beginning to set, sinking behind the crest of nearby mountains casting the sky in a crimson ruby reflection. Sky changed to purple and pink into deep midnight blue, stars beginning to show, sparkling in the night like little diamonds set on a blanket of velvet. If you looked close enough, you could see them reflected in the boy's eyes. "Ironic, isn't it, that the setting sun should mean the death of the old day."  
  
Miguel didn't answer.  
  
"I don't know what I'll do if he goes." Chesta ventured.  
  
Miguel frowned. He moved closer to Chesta and drew him into a warm embrace. "You'd continue being a soldier. Because that's what he'd want you to do. I will too."  
  
Chesta looked into his eyes and smiled sadly again. "We'll still be friends though."  
  
Miguel smiled and leaned his head onto the shorter boy's blonde hair as the other tilted his head to see the sky. He snuggled closer to his companion and sighed. Miguel felt a warm drop fall on his collarbone.  
  
The sun dipped gently behind the mountain.  
  
"Always."  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, there it is. I might consider doing a sequel telling what happens next. I don't know if any of you will like me ending it here. If I get enough reviews telling me to write a sequel, I will. But be prepared for a cry fest. Bring out the popcorn and tissues, ladies! 


End file.
